Masked Embiid back to lead Sixers by Heat
Joel Embiid inspired the 76ers with his return from injury, Danny Green and Tyrese Maxey each scored 21 points and host Philadelphia beat the Miami Heat 99-79 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Friday night.
Wearing a black mask, Embiid had 18 points and 11 rebounds after missing the first two games of the series.
Jimmy Butler scored 33 points for the Heat, who lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.
Embiid sat out the first two games with a right orbital fracture and a concussion suffered in the previous round. He wasn’t the dominant force he was throughout the season. With Green, Maxey and James Harden all crushing Heat rallies with big buckets, Embiid didn’t have to carry the Sixers.
But the 76ers sure were glad he was back.
“Any plan where you can
have Joel as part of the plan is a much better plan,” coach Doc Rivers said before the game.
Even Rivers couldn’t draw up a plan that included the play that helped put away the game: Maxey made a full-court sprint to save a basketball with an over-the-shoulder toss. The 76ers kept the ball and Embiid buried a fallaway bucket and sank the free throw for an 86-74 lead.
Embiid was good. Green was better. Green buried 6 of 7 3pointers through three quarters, highlighted by ones that snuffed Miami runs and
stretched the Sixers’ lead to 54-50 and 57-51. Green missed 9 of 10 3s in Game 2.
Tyler Herro, though, had two critical 3s of his own in the final minute and pulled the Heat to 68-65 to close the third. He had 14 and joined Butler as
the only Heat in double digits.
Mavericks fined: The Dallas Mavericks were fined $25,000 by the NBA for players and coaches straying too far onto the court from the bench in a Game 2 loss to Phoenix in the
Western Conference semifinals.
Coach Jason Kidd criticized the decision before Game 3 in Dallas on Friday, saying the league is focusing on the wrong things. He said players cheering their teammates should be celebrated, not punished.